I Do Not Want a Business

Target audience, conversion, and profit are all dirty words in my world.

All I want is awareness of neurodivergence in women. 

Our greatest obstacle to a healthy and fulfilling life is not knowing why we feel different. We live our lives exerting ourselves to show up ‘normal’. To absolutely everyone. We mask with our colleagues, our closest friends, and even with our children. We only get a break when we are alone. We assume that we are introverts and have to recharge. This goes on until we hit burnout or we have children who get diagnosed. Doctors will keep prescribing antidepressants and anxiety medicine without ever questioning the reasons for our struggle.

In a capitalist society, the only way to get eyes on a cause is to sell a product. 

And not just any product: It has to be hot! A brand. High quality. Desirable. On trend.

So here we are.

Spicy women wear hoodies.

We should wear our messages on our hoodies to the local coffee shop and grocery store. Strike up conversations and educate fellow women. Here is the first obstacle: Nobody wants to out themselves as autistic. Not cool (yet). Imagine showing up in gear screaming “Autistic!” Instead, let’s wear messages only we can understand. A secret handshake sort of thing. 

I created ‘Stage exit left imminent’. The definition of stage exit left reads: noun A timely and inconspicuous exit or departure, done so as not to make a scene or attract attention to oneself. 

Doesn’t that perfectly describe us leaving any social situation? Great! But now, the message is too vague. This doesn’t hit. As the wearer, you would have to explain this message constantly. And what we really want is to create awareness. Subtle messages that ‘infiltrate’ the mind slowly to eventually arrive at curiosity about neurodivergence. 

I have been wrestling with this tension between loud but not out for more than a year and landed on an embroidered ‘spicy’. The women who know - know. Spicy is short for neurospicy, or neurodivergent. No outing required. If you have spent any time online learning about neurodivergence in women, you have come across spicyness.

How do people find out about the hoodie? Apparently, I am uncomfortable with selling. It’s a dirty word in my world. Women should want to join my mission and enjoy the soft hoodie while changing the world gently but permanently. Here is to hoping.